I had always assumed that unless you were downing a pint or smoking a joint while rocking a baby bump, you’d be left alone in peace to wear maternity dungarees and take loads of bump pictures.

Apparently not.

Women who are clean eating, yoga practising, beacons of health still end up getting judged for the occasional cup of coffee or risking a slice of soft cheese. Or, as I recently learned, for going to the gym.

Working out is supposed to be one of those things that everyone approves of. Until, of course, you’re pregnant and your body suddenly becomes everyone’s business.

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Caroline, who has three children, told me that she worked out throughout each pregnancy. ‘People at my NCT classes were horrified, my mother in law told me I was being selfish. I’d been active my whole life and then suddenly I was being treated like a criminal for doing something that felt completely natural.

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‘Even at the gym, they would give me sideways looks, at one point a trainer suggested that I should be swimming instead of taking classes.’

Lola, who had her first baby last year, had a similar experience. ‘I got chatting to a girl who went to my gym, which admittedly is pretty high intensity, and when I told her I was pregnant it was like we’d been at a squat rave together. She just couldn’t get over the idea that I would put my ‘baby at risk’. I tried to explain that there was no risk, but she wouldn’t listen to me.’

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The official advice from the NHS is that working out during your pregnancy is fine, and even beneficial, as long as you feel comfortable.

Makeyourswitch.co.uk trainer Stuart Pilkington explained that you definitely do not have to stop working out the second you see two blue lines on a white stick:

‘If you exercised before you became pregnant, you can continue to enjoy doing so during pregnancy. The aim should be to maintain your current level of fitness, rather than trying to reach your peak, so stick to your usual daily physical activity for as long as you feel comfortable doing so.

‘Provided you are careful, then participating in sport, running, yoga, dancing and even walking to the shops and back will all benefit you during your pregnancy. What is important is that you don’t exhaust yourself completely, so be mindful of this and enjoy – exercise is as good for you as it is for your baby.’

‘I managed to maintain my normal exercise routine at Barry’s Bootcamp pretty much up until 32 weeks but then as my pregnancy progressed, I had to reduce my running and modify my ab exercises.

‘When pregnant, it’s even more important to warm up properly, make sure you don’t overheat, stay hydrated and stretch thoroughly after exercising. Remember to keep listening to your body – every woman is different and so is every pregnancy.’

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Aside from being safe, within certain boundaries, many of the women who I spoke to told me that keeping up their workouts kept them happy, and sane.

‘I’m pregnant, but I’m still the same person. Exercise makes me happy.’ Chloe, 32, told me. ‘Plus, a lot of the research suggests that active mothers cope better with labour, which makes sense in terms of fitness and stamina, and babies who are born to active mothers are more able to regulate their own heart rates.’

What does the NHS say you shouldn't do when you're pregnant?

Don’t lie flat on your back for prolonged periods, particularly after 16 weeks, because the weight of your bump presses on the main blood vessel bringing blood back to your heart and this can make you feel faint.

Don’t take part in contact sports where there’s a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash.

Don’t go scuba diving, because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism (gas bubbles in the bloodstream).

Don’t exercise at heights over 2,500m above sea level until you have acclimatised: this is because you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness

So as long as you stay on dry land, and at a sensible altitude, you’re pretty much golden. Any advice to the contrary (especially if it comes from a well-meaning but unqualified person in your NCT class) can be ignored.

Trainer and writer Nilufer Atik echoed Chloe’s sentiments, telling me how much better working out made her feel. ‘Just going for a brisk walk towards the end made me feel like I wasn’t such a useless hippo! (I was massive). The endorphins help lift your spirits on days when you’re struggling.’

Whether you decide to spend nine months lying flat and watching Netflix, or if you want to run a marathon a week, that’s entirely up to you (and maybe your doctor). It’s not for anyone else to venture an opinion on your pregnancy.